Time-stamp



B. B. HILL. TIME STAMP.

(No Model.)

Patented Apr.- 9, 1889.

' .CEIVIEIOEIH 391110 TM3TAI 3m TA Swwwboz UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN B. HILL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

TlME-STAM P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 401,033, dated April 9, 1889.

Application filed February 16,1887.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN B. HILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Time- Stamps, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents a vertical central section of a stamp constructed according to my improvement; Fig. 2, a plan with the cover and handle removed; Fig. 3, a reversed plan of the stamp, showing the acting faces of the type, &c., that are adapted to have their hour and minute wheels simultaneously adjusted; and Fig. 4c is a plan with the handle removed.

lWIanypatents have been granted for what are known as chronometric or time stamps, in which a clock-movement is connected with indices or wheel-type in such a manner that as the clock-movement continues its motion the indices or wheels are moved accordingly. These were found very useful; but there were at least three well-founded objections to them: First, they were expensive; second, they were liable to be accidentally stopped, and, third, they were very apt to get out of order. The first of these objections was owing to the expense of the clock-work and its connections, and the last two were due to the jar in stamping the article being printed, the jar frequently causing a stoppage, and also so shaking the parts that they became disarranged, and thus the clock-work got out of order. Attempts have been made in various ways to overcome these difficulties, but so far with poor success until my invention was made. In order to avoid these difficulties, I have invented a stamp wherein the clock-movement is dispensed with as an attachment to the stamp, and yet the time may be easily and accurately registered. I accomplish this by means of the stamp shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- A represents the permanent inscriptionplate, to which are attached the words Received and At the Patent Office, prefera bly formed on plates of vulcanized rubber. This plate also carries a plate of rubber having three rings of characters, E F G, which Serial No. 227,8l2. (N0 model.)

have letters and figures like those shown in Fig. 3. Attached to the upper side of this plate is a type-box, B, in which are placed the movable type C for the month, day of the month, and year, and which is adjusted with respect to the face of the other type by means of the set-screw D, which, as it is screwed in, forces the type C downward. In the face of this plate and flush with said rings of characters are three disks, H I J, of rubber or other suitable material, each having an index or pointer, as shown, and each being cemented to a disk of metal set substantially flush with the fixed inscription-plate. Each of these disks is attached to a shaft, that carrying the index-plate H being attached to a shaft, h, the disk carrying the index-plate I being attached to a shaft, 4 and the disk carrying the index-plate J having the shaft marked j attached to it. On the shaft h is secured a pinion, K, on the shaft 1' a pinion, L, (shown in dotted lines,) and a spur-wheel, M, while the shaft j carries a small spur-wheel, N. These are connected so as to move together as fol lows: In the center of the stamp is a shaft, 0, whose lower end extends into the plate A, and, rising upward through the handle P, is provided with a milled head or knob, Q, by which the shaft can be easily turned. Near the lower end of this shaft are secured a pinion, R, and a spur-wheel, S, which mesh, respectively, with the wheel M and the pinion K, and the sizes of the wheels and pinions are so arranged that the shaft h, which turns the disk carrying the index-plate H, which indicates the minutes, moves twelve times as fast as the index-plate I, which indicates the hours.

Between the wheel M and the plate A, and revolving loosely on a stud secured to or cast with said plate, is an idler-wheel, T, which meshes with the pinion L and the wheel N,

and consequently turns the latter. As the wheel N has twice as many teeth as the pinion L, said wheel only turns one-half as fast as the pinion L, and hence the index-plate I revolves twice as fast as the index-plate J. Above this gearing is a cover, U, secured to the plate A by screws or in any appropriate manner, which plate. forms the bearing for those portions of the shafts that are above the wheels and pinions. Attached to or formed with the cover U is a socket, V, preferably provided with a screw-thread to receive the handle P.

The operation is as follows: When a paper is to be stamped, the receiving-clerk looks at the clock in the office, and by. turning the hand or knob Q rapidly and easily turns the indices so as to make them correspond with the time shown by the clock. If, for instance, the time is 10.50 a. m., the knob Q is turned until the hour-index points to 10, the minuteindex to 50, and the meridian-index to A. M. The document is then stamped, and the stamp is set aside until the next document to be stamped is received, when the clerk, after noticing the time by the clock, again sets the indices and stamps the document, as before. By this means a durable and ever-ready timestamp is provided that, besides being cheaply made, is so constructed that no amount of jarring in use will put it out of order, and be sides having these advantages it takes up very little room, and when not in. use may be readily put away in any convenient corner of a desk or in a Very small pigeon-hole therein.

Having thus described the preferable form of my improvement, but without thereby limiting myself to the exact construction, I claim as new- 1. The combination, with the fixed inscriptionplate of a hand-stamp and a handle connected with said plate for pressing the same upon the paper, of multiple time-indicating printing-disks, wheel-work connecting them together and moving them simultaneously, and a shaft attached to one of the wheels provided with a knob for turning the same, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the fixed inscription-plate and the handle of a hand-stamp constru cted to be pressed downward on the upper surface of the paper to be impressed, of multiple time-indicating printing-disks, wheelwork connecting said printing-disks to cause them to move simultaneously, a cover for said wheel-work, and a shaft extending through said cover and connected with said wheelwork, and having on its upper 'end means, as the milled head Q, for turning said shaft, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the fixed inscription-plate and handle of a hand-stamp, of m 111- tiple time-indicating printing-disks, wheels work connecting them together, a back plate covering said Wheel-work and carrying the handle of the stamp, and a shaft attached to one of the wheels rising through the back plate and handle and provided with a'knob for turning the same, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 12th day of February, 1887.

BENJAMIN B. HILL.

lVitnesses:

JOHN W. SPECKMAN, WILLIAM C. Gnonvnn. 

